Organizational Leaders
The 21st century workforce has changed, but many organizations have struggled to keep pace with this demographic shift. And, while many organizations have diversity in their ranks, its often reflected at the bottom of the organization.
Representation matters, but diversity alone isn’t enough. Because, where the diversity resides within the organization, is often a major cause of consternation; reflecting large power imbalances with the majority of the power-base, still residing with predominantly white leadership at the top.
Pay inequity across gender is still a major issue; with the numbers for women of color reflecting even more disparity? And, inclusion is needed, so people can bring their full selves to work, without having to discount or deny fundamental aspects of who they are; enabling organizations to harness the full benefit of a diverse workforce.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
~ President Barack Obama
The business case for diversity is well documented with clear, solid evidence reflecting how diverse teams and organizations outperform their more homogenous counterparts.
And, as more leaders today grapple with how to make their organizations more diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI); the reality is unless DEI is championed, owned and modeled by organizational leaders, particularly senior leaders; a core organizational value, viewed as a strategic imperative in service of the organization’s mission, vision and goals; and intentional efforts and resources are made towards making this an actuality; the likelihood of having a workplace that is diverse, equitable and inclusive is highly improbable.
Here’s what clients and teams have said about our work together…
Problem needed solving: Providing engaging professional development opportunities for early career to senior level underrepresented groups in computing.
When working with groups and individuals, Sabrina Coleman has the amazing ability to root out a client's biggest challenges and outline the steps they need to take to have their breakthrough or 'aha' moment. When I need to design professional development workshops for programs she is my go to person for program design and facilitation.
A few years ago, Sabrina and I collaborated on a project at a private educational institution that was maturing and wrestling with its response relative to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our work included a discovery process that included multiple interviews, interactive groups, and extensive data gathering, diving into systemic themes and subtle, yet powerful, cultural patterns and implications. The work culminated in highly interactive feedback and dialogue sessions with organizational leaders and members, leading them to adopt new policies, practices, and leadership behaviors.
Throughout the process, Sabrina was an active and engaged partner, deeply invested in the process as well as the outcomes. The combination of her analytic skills and intuition are mighty. Her presence, experience, wisdom, and willingness to tell the truth were so important to me, personally, and invaluable to the client.
Before my coaching with Sabrina, I was worried about my job, I felt stuck- as if I had no choice but to remain in my position although it did not serve me. As a result of coaching, I learned that I needed to honor how I felt. I became more at peace with the fact that change was needed. I also developed the courage to facilitate change. I found a new job and was able to leave my old one with gratitude for the experience and what it taught me. I would say: if you want clarity, if you really want change and you need an empathetic and supportive partner in the process, do not hesitate to coach with Sabrina Coleman.